With the advent of complex, and often fragile, electronic circuit modules, typically having dual-in-line leads that extend downwardly from two mutually disposed sides thereof, a need has arisen for specially constructed tools or devices for inserting and extracting such modules from circuit boards or from sockets mounted thereon.
A particularly serious problem has arisen in this regard with respect to circuit modules of the so-called hybrid integrated circuit (HIC) type employing thin film circuitry fabricated on a relatively thin, fragile, circuit-supporting ceramic substrate. In one such circuit module, the ceramic substrate measure 1600 mils in width, 3600 mils in length and only 62 mils in thickness, with 36 ribbon-like leads extending downwardly from, and disposed along each of the two longest mutually disposed sides of, the substrate to form a dual-in-line configuration. The leads in the illustrative circuit module each have a width of 30 mils, a thickness of 15 mils, and a centerline-to-centerline spacing of 100 mils.
With the illustrative ceramic substrate and associated leads having such minute dimensions, it becomes readily apparent that considerable care is required in handling such circuit modules during their lead insertion into, or extraction out of, a common support member, such as a circuit board, or a board-mounted socket.
There have been a number of simplified hand-held tools and devices constructed heretofore for inserting and extracting multi-leaded circuit modules, including those of the dual-in-line package (DIP) type. One such tool of plier-like configuration is disclosed in N. S. Einerson U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,092, and is adapted to grasp and hold a DIP while the leads thereof are being inserted into or extracted from a supporting member. Such handle-operated devices tend to be somewhat cumbersome both to orient and to actuate, particularly when required to be positioned in a substantially vertically oriented position, during a DIP insertion or extraction operation. In addition, the pivotally actuated jaws of such a plier-like tool normally require appreciable circuit board space adjacent the gripped, or to be gripped, sides of a DIP as mounted on a circuit board. In many demanding electronic circuit and equipment applications, however, board space is often at a premium because of the need for high density circuitry. As a result, the spacings between multi-leaded circuit modules are often considerably less than that required to accommodate any type of pivotally actuated gripping jaws.
P. M. Bruner U.S. Pat. No. 3,538,580 discloses another type of hand-operated tool for inserting and/or extracting DIP-type components into or out of an associated header. The tool comprises a relatively rigid tubular-like frame which is dimensioned to closely fit about the body of a component. Thereafter, resilient working arms of the frame, formed with teeth, when manually biased inwardly, grip the component in the spaces defined between the leads thereof. The tool further includes a series of rigid fingers which engage the component leads at their point of entry into the body of the components so as to facilitate the insertion of the leads into a mating header. Such a tool, disadvantageously, is not adjustable so as to accommodate multi-leaded components or circuit modules, in general, having body portions of different widths, as well as lengths.
Moreover, neither of the above-mentioned types of hand-held insertion or extraction tools provides any means for temporarily releasably locking the jaws, or resilient arms thereof after a given multi-leaded component or circuit module has been reliably gripped therebetween. This would be very advantageous, for example, in facilitating the straightening of any bent circuit module leads either before their insertion into, or after their extraction from, lead engaging through-holes or receptacles of an associated support member.
There thus has been a definite need for a compact, easily manipulated and hand-operated device of simplified, reliable and inexpensive construction, and which is versatile with respect to accommodating multi-leaded circuit modules of varying types and sizes.